


I rock too fast for love (I'm footloose in my velcro shoes)

by hawrthiacoopri



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Joyce is the best mom, M/M, Sibling Bonding, i love it though, this is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 18:09:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8456590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawrthiacoopri/pseuds/hawrthiacoopri
Summary: Barb liked to say that Joyce and her had a symbiotic relationship; Joyce kept Nancy from having a nervous breakdown, and Nancy kept Joyce from wanting a daughter.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Ok this was just my wanting to write Joyce and Nancy being pals and also Mike and Nancy being good siblings so here!!! You go!!! I smashed two IPhone notes together and this happened.
> 
> •
> 
> The title is from Motion City Soundtrack's 'The Future Freaks Me Out' and I love it sm

The first time Nancy had ever ended up at the Byers' house was when she was 13, and she'd gotten into a fight with Barb for the first time.

She'd tried to talk to her mom, she really had, but it hadn't worked; Karen was a wonderful person, but a terrible listener. 

So Joyce, with her (however scattered) motherly instincts, had spotted the distress in the girl the moment she and Mike had stepped onto her porch. 

Mike had quickly run up to do whatever he did with his little friends, and Nancy had given Joyce a tight smile and started to head out the door, when Joyce and plucked up the courage and said to her retreating back, "Nancy?"

"Yes, Ms. Byers?"

Joyce ran her hand through her hair, looking around and saying, "Do you want to stay for a cup of tea?"

And that's how little Nancy had ended up on the Byers family's couch, holding a chipped mug of tea, and telling Joyce what was wrong.

She sniffed, finishing her story with, "And I just don't know what to do."

Joyce grabbed her hand, saying "Oh, honey..." she looked at Nancy's face and her own softened. "Have you tried talking to Barb about it?"

Nancy nodded. "She doesn't care. She just wants to be mad at me right now, I think. I'm just gonna leave her be."

"Good, good. And you talked to your mom about this?"

That hit Nancy hard, blinking back tears. "Yeah. But she's not good at listening."

Joyce pulled her into a hug. Nancy thought faintly that she smelled like home, more so than her own mom; albeit, a tobacco-filled home, but a better home than she'd ever felt. "You can come over any time, okay? Whenever you need to talk, I'll be there."

Nancy nodded, tightening her grip on the older woman and smiling. 

It had been four years since that day, (well, not exactly, but close enough), and Nancy had been over to the Byers' house more times than she could count. Barb liked to say that Joyce and her had a symbiotic relationship; Joyce kept Nancy from having a nervous breakdown, and Nancy kept Joyce from wanting a daughter.

Recently, they'd started actually having coffee together. 

"So, how's it going with your school?" Joyce smiled at Nancy, setting her cup down and leaning forward. 

"Good, good. I'm thinking of dropping history to take AP ELC, though." 

"ELC?"

"English Language and Composition."

"Ah."

"And how's your job going?"

"Well, I think. I haven't fallen asleep at the register recently."

Nancy nodded hopefully. "That's great!"

Joyce nodded, and Nancy was reminded of what she found so wonderful about her. 

Joyce was very driven, and she never gave up on a person once she liked them. She loved everything with a fierce passion, and she never tried to hide it. She was truthful and loyal and she knew how to be there for her kids. 

"Joyce, do you remember the first time I came over here?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You were crying about the girl Barb, right?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

"We started dating." Nancy tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling bashfully and bracing herself the response. 

Joyce jumped up, hugging Nancy and spinning her around. "That's great! I'm so happy for you guys!"

Nancy's face brightened. "Wait, you don't care? That I'm dating a girl?"

Joyce rolled her eyes. "Nancy, I have too much on my own plate to care about who likes who and who's dating who and which boys got caught feeling each other up behind the movie theater. Unless it involves my sons or you being unhappy, it doesn't matter to me."

"That's... a really great philosophy, actually."

Joyce leaned forward, stage-whispering, "And just between you and me, I'm pretty sure Will has a huge crush on your brother."

Nancy's mouth fell open into an O. "No. Way. Mike? And Will?"

"Yes. I know my children, Nancy Wheeler."

"I don't doubt that. But Mike?"

Joyce shrugged. "He's nice, I guess."

Nancy smiled, sipping her tea. "I'll keep that in mind next time I see him." 

Joyce put a joking hand over her heart, laughing as she did so. "Oh no, making little boys confront their feelings?" 

"Oh the humanity," she replied drily, standing up and grinning. "Well, thank you for having me over, Joyce." She held out her hand for the mother to shake. 

Joyce pulled his into a hug. "No more of that now, Nancy Wheeler. You don't shake your own mom's hand, do you?" 

"No." 

"So why shake mine?" 

"Good point." 

Joyce ruffled her hair. "Good luck with Barb. Don't embarrass your brother too badly." 

"Will do. See you later!" Nancy ran down the driveway, waving and hopping in her borrowed car. She drove home smiling.

-•-

Mike was in the kitchen, making microwave popcorn and writing in a notebook frantically. 

"Hey nerd." she ruffled his hair, perching on the counter and swinging her legs. 

"Shut up," he grumbled, batting her hands away and continuing to write. 

"You shut up," she retorted, getting up when the microwave beeped and taking the popcorn out. 

"I could have done that." Mike put his hand on his hip and grabbed two bowls. 

"You're still my baby brother, though. I have to take care of you, it's my job. What kind of big sister would I be if I let you do menial tasks?" Nancy teased, emptying the popcorn into the bowls and snatching up his book. "What's this?" 

"Put that down!" He grabbed at it, but Nancy was too tall, especially with her arms far above her head. 

"But what is it?" 

"It's just school. Give it back." Mike eyed her irascibly, reaching for it again and succeeding this time by grabbing Nancy's shoulder and forcing her down. 

"Ow, Mike!" She said loudly, smiling smugly when their father called down to Mike to stop harassing his sister. "Just school, huh? What are you in now, fourth grade? Do you even know the alphabet?" 

"I'm in eighth grade, you idiot." 

"Could've fooled me," Nancy giggled, poking Mike's nose and putting her elbow on the top of his head. "You sure look like a fourth grader." 

"Do not." 

"Do too."

"Do not!" 

"Do too!" Nancy sang, jumping away from Mike's slappy hands and keeling over when she hit the edge of the island. "Ouch!" 

Mike was by her side in an instant. "What happened? Are you okay?" 

Nancy smiled deviously, reaching out and tickling Mike's stomach. "Now I am," she sing-sang over his shrieks, "now I am!" 

"Let off!" Mike said breathlessly, clearly enjoying himself. 

"Say you love your big sister." 

"Never!" 

"Say you love me, say you love me!" Nancy moved her fingers to his neck, keeping a firm hold around his waist and tickling harder. 

"I love my big sister," Mike said desperately, "I love Nancy Wheeler." 

"Say my full name!" 

"I love Nancy Suckface Wheeler- ah!" He lapsed into another fit of giggles. 

"My real one." 

"I love Nancy Shoshanna Wheeler, I love my big sister!" Mike managed between heaves of laughter. 

"Now tell me who you have a crush on." 

"What? No! A deal's a deal, and-" he was cut off by Nancy trapping him on the couch, forcing him into her lap and holding him down. 

"What the hell, Nancy!" Mike struggled against her, and almost got away, but she was ultimately too strong after she'd just tickled him to death. "Fine, but you have to let me go." 

"Okay..." Nancy sadly let her little brother go, but kept a firm grip around his wrist. 

"I'll tell you later." He tried.

"Mike." Her turned to look at her, her face suddenly serious. "No more secrets."

Mike sighed, sitting down heavily next to her and jerking away when she tried to touch his hair. "Don't touch my hair, you weirdo." 

"I'll touch you if I want. Don't talk to your elders like that." She buried her hand in his hair. She was jealous of it, honestly. It was soft and thick, unlike hers. Nancy's hair was nice, but it was thin and brittle. She didn't think her brother had ever had a split end in his life. 

He waited a second before saying, "I went swimming earlier and I didn't wash my hair, just so you know." 

"What?" She withdrew her hand. "You're disgusting! Why didn't you tell me!" 

"Because." 

Nancy shook her head, wiping her hands exaggeratedly and putting her game face on. "So?" 

"So, what?" 

"So, who do you... like?" 

"Oh." Her looked at her, breathing deeply and letting it out, making eye contact with Nancy and trying to keep it steady. "I have a crush on... this guy..." he emphasized guy, looking at Nancy's face and searching for recognition, not finding it. "And... he's really good friends with me, and he's a really good artist. And he has really nice eyes and his hair is really cute and-" Nancy put a hand over his mouth. 

"Mike, do you have a crush on Will?" 

He shifted. "Maybe..." 

She jumped up, grabbing Mike's hands and hopping in a circle. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!! Joyce was right! I was right! You two are so cute!" 

Mike took his hands back, tucking his hair back and blushing. "Whatever, Nancy." He snapped his head up. "Wait, what do you mean Joyce was right? How do you know Joyce?" 

Nancy wiggled her eyebrows. "There's lots of things you don't know about me, Michael." 

"Well, there's lots of things you don't know about me," Mike shot back, folding his arms. "So there." 

She rolled her eyes. Was there anything she didn't know about her little brother?

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this!!!! I'm excited to share it w you. Tell me if you like it my doods B)


End file.
